Improvement in shaping the soles of boots and shoes



To all persons to whom these presents may come Be it known that I, JOSEPH B. JOHNSON, of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shaping Shoe-Soles after their ixation to their uppers; and I do hereby declare the same'to be fully described in the following specification and representedin the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 denotes a vertical section of a solemold and a press, with a shoe and its elastic `last applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an elevation of l the same. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the last, with its elastic bottoming. Fig.`4 is a top view of the said last. f

i The `common mode heretofore practiced for `.Shaping the sole of a shoe, after such sole may f have been sewed to the upper, has been to last the shoe and hammer the sole into conformity with the bottom of the last. This isa process requiring care and skill on the part of the Workman. I accomplish the result by different means, and to much better advantage.

\ `I employ a mold, A, whose upper surface is the reverse of the form to be imparted to the sole. `lVith this mold I use a screw-press, B, and a last,.C, the latter being provided with y an elastic bottomin g, a. Y This bottoming is composed of a sheet or strip of vulcanized iny dia-rubber, fastened to the sole of the last.

` The -last has a groove, b, formed in its instep, such groove being for reception of a presser,

t JOSEPH HJOHNSON, OF LYNN, MAssAoHusETTs. A

UNITED STATES PATHNTQF umM IMPROVEM ENT IN sHAPlNG `Tl-ua `SOLES OF BOOTSANDSHOES.

speeineation routing. part of Letters Patent No. 71,495, dated Novanta 26, 1867.

D, which is a standard extending from `the last to the platen or slider F of `thescrew-press.

On inserting the last in the shoe and placing the sole of the latter uponthe mold, ,and the presser into the groove of the last,1and screw.-

ing down the screwf ofthe press, the last will be forced down upon the sole ofthe shoe and will crowd it into the mold, the elastic bottoming of the lastserving to fit the last to the` y irregularities of theupper face ofthe'` sole, so p as tO cause the whole bottom of the sole to be pressed into firm contact with the'mold. 1

By this process the lapof the groove of the sole will be firmly and evenly pressed down` upon its seat, which cannot well be eieoted by the hammering process.` The sole and the sewing thereof will be consolidated to much better advantage than `theycan by the `hain-` mering process.

What I claim as my invention, for thepurpose of shaping soles after being connected to their uppers, is-

1. The combinatlon oi" the mold, the press,

the last, and the elasticbottoming of `the lati ter. i y y 2. I also claim thecombinationof the presser j, with the press, the mold, and 4the `last and its la elastic bottoming, assetforth.

Witnesses: H

R. H. EDDY, SAMUEL N. PIPER,

JOSEPH B. JOHNSON. f J 

